Do I even have time for this?

I'm not sure if this is going to work, but here it goes....This is my attempt to create a blog of my experiences as a new mother of two.  I have the next year off work, so I should have time to do this??  (am I crazy?).  Well, we'll see how successful I am at this pretty soon.

I became a mommy again on December 19, 2008 when

 I gave birth to my beau

tiful boy, Nathan Makoto Tan-Ng.  He was born 7lbs 8oz...pretty decent size, I thought.  Over a pound heavie

r than my first born, Isabel, who was born 6lbs 7oz.  

As requested, here is my birth story...the labour was MUCH more difficult with my 2nd one....whoever said that labour with 2nd, or subsequent children is LYING!!  I think I was kind of disappointed when I realized it was WAY more painful.  Nathan also came out "face up"...which was even more painful.  If I had known it was going to be that painful, I would've asked for an epidural, but I figured he would pop out as fast as Isabel did, so I didn't opt for the epidural...darn it!

My labour started about 4am on the Dec 19...contractions 10 min apart.  At 8am, I left my house for Burnaby Hospital.  

Now at this point, the contractions are more like 6-8 minutes apart, and is probably a bit early to be heading to the hospital, but there was snow on the ground, and it was rush hour, so I figured, better safe than sorry.  When I got to Burnaby Hospital delivery suite, it was a mad house....the nurses were running around everywhere, and it was a full house.  I managed to get into a delivery room, but the progre

ssion was pretty slow....I was only about 3 cm dilated when I arrived, and the contractions were still only 6-10 min apart...After a couple 

hours of being there, they gave me the gas (nitrous oxide)...I did

n't like it the first time...but the nurse suggested I give it a 2nd try....I still didn't like it...just makes you feel high and dizzy.  I then took a shower for about 45 minutes which helped tremendously....I think I progressed another 2-3 cm during that time in the shower.  Now as time went on, the contractions got more and more intense....they offered my some Fentanyl (spelling?) for pain, which would be administered by IV.  I took it....they gave it to me in small doses, but it did take the edge.  When that ran out, the pain was getting pretty bad....Finally when it came time to push, I thought I might die. I really felt like he was ready to come out, and the Dr said they wanted to wait for him to turn because he was facing the "wrong way"....After alot of pain and scream

ing and over an hour of pushing....He finally came out at 3:34 pm.  Giving birth is not 

glamourous, and when you're in that much pain, I don't know about you, but it's difficult to keep it together without screaming....I don't understand that whole "silent birth" thing that Scientologists believe in...there's no way I could be silent during childbirth!  I think the first thing I said after Nathan came out was "THANK YOU for coming out!"  

Anyways, that's the birth story....we were discharged as soon as Nathan was 24 hours old.  I know it may sound a bit early...but we were wanting to go home anyways.  Nathan was doing fine, and nursing fine.  I was a bit worried about

 breastfeeding again, but after doing it for 20 months with Isabel, it was like riding a bike.  Luckily, I only had 3 stiches, so in that area, the recovery has been so far, so good.

Now that we're home, people have been asking me about "baby blues" or post partum depression...to be honest, I haven't really had time to be depressed.  I guess I was a bit emotional a day or two after the birth...but I think it may have been more due to lack of sleep.  The most difficult part has been trying to get Isabel used to having a sibling.  She's been particularly clingy to me....she loves her brother though, which is nice.  She hasn't shown alot of signs of jealousy towards Nathan, but does cling to me ALOT!  She has been getting a bit better over the past couple days, and it has been easier with Viv being home every day with us.  I'm SO glad Viv has been home....and he'll be off til mid-January, which is awesome! 

This transition is going to take time I think...I have to say though, that as each day passes, it gets better and better. I'm frightened to see what's going to happen when Viv goes back to work....will I have time to make dinner?